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Cosmosystem
An overwhelmingly simple system for obnoxiously animu one-on-one games with plenty of supernatural powers. Characters for Cosmosystem *Galina *Oro *Carme *Corsa *Noirel *Nana 2.0 *Fan Tiers Any given character has a tier, which can be anywhere from 1 to 6. A character who would have a tier below 1 is effectively a non-entity against PCs. and PCs automatically succeed against them. Any given character rolls their tier for all actions, including magical actions. However, they take a -2 penalty on anything they are underdeveloped at. PCs start at tier 2 and are usually underdeveloped at a field that might come up a couple of times every other session. NPCs can have whatever tier and be underdeveloped at whatever the GM pleases. Example Tiers (Full Moé Alchemist) *Tier 1: Sixth-rate outsiders, elementals, spirits, gods, archmages, and dragons. Devas, owl archons and sword archons, firres, glabrezus and nalfeshnees, nycaloths. NPC Examples: Peura, the feather's avatars as a collective whole. Hypothetical Examples: Some completely obscure deity like Surminare or Syranita. *Tier 2: Fifth-rate outsiders, elementals, spirits, gods, archmages, and dragons. Planetars, trumpet archons, ghaeles and shiradis, mariliths, arcanaloths. NPC Examples: Nephthys's ghastly avatar. *Tier 3: Fourth-rate outsiders, elementals, spirits, gods, and archmages, and dragons. Solars, throne archons, tulanis, balors and molydei, ultroloths. NPC Examples: Arany. *Tier 4: Third-rate outsider lords, elemental lords, spirit lords, gods, archmages, and dragons. *Tier 5: Second-rate outsider lords, elemental lords, spirit lords, gods, archmages, and dragons. NPC Examples: Aurifar, Nephthys. *Tier 6: First-rate outsider lords, elemental lords, spirit lords, gods, archmages, and dragons. NPC Examples: Shual. Hypothetical Examples: Any of the celestial paragons and heads of major pantheons. Example Tiers (Fan in the Sky) *Note: Pathfinder definitions are used here. Non-monsters are assumed to have full PC class levels and the "elite" array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8). *Tier 1: CR 11 monster, 11th-level character with PC wealth, 12th-level character with NPC wealth *Tier 2: CR 12 monster, 12th-level character with PC wealth, 13th-level character with NPC wealth *Tier 3: CR 13 monster, 13th-level character with PC wealth, 14th-level character with NPC wealth *Tier 4: CR 14 monster, 14th-level character with PC wealth, 15th-level character with NPC wealth *Tier 5: CR 15 monster, 15th-level character with PC wealth, 16th-level character with NPC wealth *Tier 6: CR 16 monster, 16th-level character with PC wealth, 17th-level character with NPC wealth Supernatural Powers By default, characters can accomplish any mundane task they could reasonably have a chance at doing. For anything beyond the mundane, they will need a supernatural power. PCs begin with at least one supernatural power, and these can be whatever the player and the GM deem appropriate for the game. NPCs have as many supernatural powers as the GM deems appropriate. Roll Basics All rolls are 2d6 + tier. If the player's method is particularly ingenious or creative, they add a +1 bonus to their roll. If a character tries to undertake two or more distinct and separate actions simultaneously, like dispelling a complex ward while also hiding from actively searching guards in the same room, they do not actually take any penalty for it, because facing two points of failure is daunting enough. Roll Modifiers Difficulty: *Exceptionally hard: -5 penalty *Somewhere between exceptionally hard and hard: -4 penalty *Hard: -3 penalty *Somewhere between hard and difficult: -2 penalty *Difficult: -1 penalty *Could go either way: No modifier *Moderate obstacle: +1 bonus *Somewhere between a moderate obstacle and trivial: +2 bonus *Trivial: +3 bonus (if the bonus would be higher than this, there is no need to roll) Taking Direct Action against NPCs: *vs. a duo of tier 5 NPCs: -4 penalty *vs. a single tier 5 NPC or a duo of tier 4 NPCs: -3 penalty *vs. a single tier 4 NPC or a duo of tier 3 NPCs: -2 penalty *vs. a single tier 3 NPC or a duo of tier 2 NPCs: -1 penalty *vs. a single tier 2 NPC or a duo of tier 1 NPCs: No modifier *vs. a single tier 1 NPC: +1 bonus Particularly Ingenious or Creative Method (only for PCs): +1 bonus Roll Results *6-: Setback. The character achieves what they set out to achieve albeit with a major negative side effect, or the character fails at performing the task (whether due to their own mistake, the sheer difficulty of the activity, or external circumstances) and the circumstances are also shaken up on top of that (not necessarily to the character's detriment), as determined by the GM. The character cannot reattempt the same task under the same context in the same scene. *7-9: Success with a price (and maybe a choice). The character achieves what they set out to achieve albeit with a moderate negative side effect. At the GM's discretion, the character may be offered a choice between two or more prices, such they can pick their metaphorical poison. *10+: Success. The character achieves what they set out to achieve in a beneficial and positive fashion. As a general guideline, if a success is worth a "1," then a success with a price should be worth a "0.5," and a setback should be worth a "0." Defending against NPCs Sometimes, an NPC takes direct action against a PC, and the PC is in a position to defend themselves. This prompts an opposed roll, and is the only time opposed rolls ever come into play. Both characters make their rolls, ignoring roll modifiers except for the +1 bonus a PC may be entitled to for a particularly ingenious or creative method. If circumstances favor one character over the other, the favored character gains a +1 bonus for minor circumstances, a +2 bonus for major circumstances, or a +3 bonus for extreme circumstances. Their results are compared as follows: *NPC wins by 6+: Succumb utterly. The PC suffers the full extent of the NPC's direct action, except amplified sharply. *NPC wins by 1-5: Succumb. The PC suffers the full extent of NPC's direct action. *Tie: Parry and immunize with a price. In addition to the effects of parry and immunize, the character suffers a moderate negative side effect. At the GM's discretion, the character may be offered a choice between two or more prices, such they can pick their metaphorical poison. *PC wins by 1-5: Parry and immunize. The PC successfully defends themselves against the NPC's action, and the NPC cannot reattempt the same broad category of action (e.g. mentally influencing the PC) until circumstances have vastly changed. The player must provide a narrative justification for how the PC is nullifying that broad category of action, and the NPC can vastly change future approaches accordingly. *PC wins by 6+: Parry, immunize, and riposte. In addition to the effects of parry and immunize (see above), the PC automatically launches a successful counterattack against the NPC aggressor, which can possibly entail turning the NPC's action against them. Supernatural Power Acquisition A character can attempt to learn an extension to one of their supernatural powers in any situation where they are under pressure or something reasonably important at stake. To do so, they must explain what they are trying to do, and the GM will count the number of logical leaps away it is from the base concept of the supernatural power. For example, if a character has the "ability to give life to anything," they might try to acquire the extension of "soul healing" (one logical step away) or "artificial soul creation" (two logical steps away). The character makes a roll as normal. They do not take any more penalties to the roll than they otherwise would, as if they "already had" the extension. The resulting success, success with a price, or setback is resolved as normal. *If the natural roll result is equal to or greater than 3 + the number of logical steps, then in addition to the results of the roll, the character learns the extension. *If it is less than that, then in addition to the results of the roll, the character fails to learn the extension and suffers a catastrophe. Depending on the tone of this game, this might be extremely serious or extremely goofy, but it is always radically scene-changing. For example, if a character is trying to learn something two logical steps away and they roll a natural 4, then in addition to the results of the roll, they fail to learn the extension and suffer a catastrophe. In terms of game theory, a catastrophe should be about 2.5 times as bad as learning a new extension is good; this is a very nebulous guideline, but the intent is that a catastrophe should be a notable threat. Why does it work this way, rather than simply assigning a penalty? Simple: because under the bell curve of 2d6, if a character is up against heavy opposition, then they are already under significant penalties, and any more penalties would make it very hard to learn a new power due to the bell curve. By tying this to natural roll results, characters are at no disadvantage for attempting to learn a new extension while facing heavy opposition. Tier Advancement A character advances in tier only when the GM declares that they do, usually as a plot reward.